In an unusually leafy square in traffic-choked Vauxhall, south London, is a slice of what used to be known as the Orient: a flat in a narrow, late 19th-century house filled with Moorish tiles, intricate woodwork and coloured glassware that could as easily be in Tangier or Istanbul as in London.

It plays homage to its owner's love of north Africa and the Middle East. Artist and photographer Ariane Severin has travelled widely in Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia over the past decade, and her home reflects this. "I fell in love with Arabic culture – its food, art, interiors and architecture – when I first visited Morocco," Severin says. "I started collecting things and never stopped."

Her kitchen features intricate, hand-carved units in dark wood set against raw plastered walls in a subtle off-pink pigment and a splashback of mosaic tiles in the palest blue – Dar Interiors and Fired Earth have a good selection. It is accessorised with hammered vessels and bowls, metal pendant lights (try Graham & Green for similar), woven baskets and heavy earthenware dishes.

Down a few steps is a bathroom featuring a carved wooden door and internal window – made to order by an Algerian carpenter based in London – and coloured glass ornaments. The living space, open plan to the kitchen, features a collection of woven throws, cushions and rugs – Cargo and Dar Leone are good places to look.

Surprisingly, several pieces of severe, dark-wood furniture – hand-me-downs from Severin's family in Germany – including a dining table and chairs, don't look out of place. "I've spent a lot of time in Berlin and Beirut, and the style is strangely quite similar," Severin says. Walls are filled with art, photography, ornaments, an Egyptian film poster and a metal street sign complete with bullet holes.

The bucolic view of exotic trees and shrubs – planted in Bonnington Square's communal central garden by former resident, gardener Dan Pearson, years ago – and the square's hippy vibe add to the sense of being transplanted to another country. Many of the flats were sold to the squatters who inhabited them in the late 80s, and the square still retains a slight air of anarchy. It has a popular deli and coffee shop, and a long-established communal vegetarian restaurant – the Bonnington Cafe – where residents take turns to cook and which is open to the public.

"I've lived here 25 years, and many things have changed," Severin says. "But it also means I've had a lot of time to get my flat just right."